21The Real Lord’s Prayer  (John 17:1)

Jesus spoke these things; and lifting up His eyes to heaven, He said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son, that the Son may glorify You” (17:1)

“A godly man cannot live without prayer,” wrote the seventeenth-century English Puritan Thomas Watson. “A man cannot live unless he takes his breath, nor can the soul, unless it breathes forth its desires to God” (The Godly Man’s Picture [repr.; Edinburgh: Banner of Truth, 1992], 88). Prayer expresses the soul’s longing for God (Pss. 42:1–2;63:1; 143:6); it is the cry (Pss. 34:15, 17; 86:3) of God’s people to their gracious, compassionate (Ex. 34:6; 2 Chron. 30:9; Neh. 9:17; Ps. 103:8) heavenly Father (Matt. 6:6, 9; 7:11).

The Bible both commands prayer (e.g., Jer. 33:3; Matt. 6:5–13; Luke 6:28; 18:1; Rom. 12:12; Eph. 6:18; Phil. 4:6; Col. 4:2; 1 Thess. 5:17; 1 Tim. 2:1, 8; 1 Peter 4:7; Jude 20) and records examples of the prayers of godly people.

In the Old Testament Abraham prayed for his son Ishmael (Gen. 17:18), for Abimelech (Gen. 20:17), and for God to spare Sodom (Gen. 18:23–32). Abraham’s servant prayed for guidance in finding a wife for Isaac (Gen. 24:12–14). When Rebekah was barren, Isaac prayed that the Lord would open her womb (Gen. 25:21). Jacob prayed that God would protect him from Esau (Gen. 32:9–12). Moses prayed that God would spare rebellious Israel (Ex. 32:11–14, 31–32; Num. 14:13–19; Deut. 9:26–29), and for Miriam (Num. 12:13) and Aaron (Deut. 9:20). Moses’ successor Joshua prayed after Israel’s defeat at Ai (Josh. 7:7–9), and for the sun to stand still so Israel could inflict further punishment on her enemies (Josh. 10:12–14). Gideon prayed for a sign that would reveal God’s will (Judg. 6:36–40). Both Naomi (Ruth 1:8) and Boaz (Ruth 2:12) prayed for Ruth. Hannah prayed for a son (1 Sam. 1:9–11) and Eli prayed for Hannah (1 Sam. 1:17). Hannah’s son, Samuel, prayed that God would forgive the people of Israel and deliver them from their enemies (1 Sam. 7:5, 8), and promised to intercede for them after they foolishly demanded a king (1 Sam. 12:19–23). Job prayed in humble contrition (Job 42:1–6), and that God would forgive his friends for their foolish counsel (vv. 8–10). David offered a prayer of thanksgiving for God’s promised blessings to him and his house (2 Sam. 7:18–29), pleaded with God to spare the son Bathsheba gave birth to after their adulterous affair (2 Sam. 12:16), begged God to spare Israel from judgment (2 Sam. 24:17), praised God for His blessings on the nation (1 Chron. 29:10–18), and prayed for his son and successor Solomon (1 Chron. 29:19). Solomon prayed for God’s blessing on Israel (1 Kings 8:22–53), and for wisdom for himself (1 Kings 3:5–9). Confronting the false prophets on Mt. Carmel, Elijah prayed that God would reveal Himself as the only true God (1 Kings 18:36–37), and that it would rain after a three-and-one-half year drought (vv. 41–45; cf. Luke 4:25; James 5:17–18). Elisha prayed and a dead child was restored to life (2 Kings 4:33–35). Hezekiah prayed and God delivered His people from the invading Assyrians (2 Kings 19:1–36). God also spared the king’s life in response to his prayer for mercy (2 Kings 20:1–6).

In perhaps the most unusual circumstances in which anyone ever prayed, Jonah cried out to God from the stomach of a large fish (Jonah 2:1–10). In the waning days of the southern kingdom (Judah), Jeremiah’s prayer resulted in the comforting promise that God would one day restore the nation from captivity (Jer. 32:17–25). During the exile Ezekiel cried out to God to have mercy on His people (Ezek. 9:8; 11:13), as did Daniel in his magnificent prayer recorded in Daniel 9:3–19. After the exile Ezra (Ezra 8:21;9:5–15) and Nehemiah (Neh. 1:4–11) prayed for the remnant who returned to their homeland. In addition to those specific prayers, virtually the entire book of Psalms consists of prayers of various types (e.g., praise, worship, confession, petition, and thanksgiving).

The New Testament also records the prayers of God’s people. After His ascension Jesus’ followers returned to Jerusalem, where they “were continually devoting themselves to prayer” (Acts 1:14; cf. 2:42). When faced with persecution by the Jewish leaders, the early church’s response was to pray (4:24–31). The apostles defined their ministry when they told the congregation, “But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word” (6:4). While “Peter was kept in the prison … prayer for him was being made fervently by the church to God” (12:5, 12). Peter and John prayed for the believers in Samaria (8:14–15); Peter prayed before raising Tabitha from the dead (9:40) and before his vision and the coming of the messengers from Cornelius (10:9); the church at Antioch prayed before sending Paul and Barnabas on their missionary journey (13:1–3); and Epaphras labored in prayer for the Colossians (Col. 4:12).

From his conversion (Acts 9:11) to the end of his life, Paul’s ministry was marked by continual prayer (e.g., Acts 14:23; 16:25; 20:36; 21:5; 22:17; 27:35; 28:8, 15; Rom. 1:8–10; 10:1; 1 Cor. 1:4–8; 2 Cor. 13:7, 9; Eph. 1:16–23; 3:14–19; Phil. 1:3–4, 9–11; Col. 1:3, 9–14; 1 Thess. 1:2; 3:10; 2 Thess. 1:11–12;2 Tim. 1:3; Philem. 4–6). The apostle also frequently asked others to pray for him and his ministry (e.g., Rom. 15:30;2 Cor. 1:11; Eph. 6:18–19; Phil. 1:19; Col. 4:2–3;1 Thess. 5:25; 2 Thess .3:1; Philem. 22), as did the writer of Hebrews (Heb. 13:18).

But the supreme example of prayer in Scripture comes from the life of the Lord Jesus Christ. Curtis C. Mitchell writes, “Beyond doubt the greatest examples of correct prayer practice ever displayed were those demonstrated by Jesus Christ. So distinct was His prayer life that by simply observing it our Lord’s disciples were motivated to request instruction on the subject (see Luke 11:1)” (Praying Jesus’ Way [Old Tappan, N. J.: Revell, 1977], 15).

From beginning to end Jesus’ earthly ministry was marked by frequent times of prayer. He prayed at His baptism (Luke 3:21), during His first preaching tour (Mark 1:35; Luke 5:16), before choosing the twelve apostles (Luke 6:12–13), before feeding the 5,000 (Matt. 14:19), after feeding the 5,000 (Matt. 14:23), before feeding the 4,000 (Matt. 15:36), before Peter’s confession of Him as the Christ (Luke 9:18), at the transfiguration (Luke 9:28–29), for some children brought to Him (Matt. 19:13), after the return of the seventy (Luke 10:21), before giving the Lord’s Prayer (Luke 11:1), before raising Lazarus from the dead (John 11:41–42), as He faced the reality of the cross (John 12:28), at the Last Supper (Matt. 26:26–27), for Peter (Luke 22:31–32), in Gethsemane (Matt. 26:36–42), from the cross (Matt. 27:46; Luke 23:34, 46), with the disciples He encountered on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:30), and at the ascension (Luke 24:50–51).

But of all the prayers of Jesus, the one recorded here in the seventeenth chapter of John’s gospel is the most profound and magnificent. Its words are plain, yet majestic; simple, yet mysterious. They plunge the reader into the unfathomable depths of the inter-Trinitarian communication between the Father and the Son, and their scope encompasses the entire sweep of redemptive history from election to glorification, including the themes of regeneration, revelation, illumination, sanctification, and preservation. The veil is drawn back and the reader is escorted by Jesus Christ into the Holy of Holies, to the very throne of God.

The value of its infinite richness is heightened by its uniqueness. There is no other chapter in the Bible like it. As one commentator explains:

The setting of this prayer (as Jesus comforted His disciples immediately before the cross), the substance of it (as a heartfelt petition from the Son to the Father), and the length and detail of it, as well as its theological richness, contribute to its unique and unsurpassed significance.

THE SETTING OF THIS PRAYER

Jesus spoke these things; and lifting up His eyes to heaven, He said, “Father, the hour has come;” (17:1a)

Jesus’ prayer marks the end of the disciples’ time with Jesus in the upper room. During the previous few hours, Jesus had served, comforted, and instructed His anxious followers. They had experienced John’s fitting description of Jesus firsthand, that He “loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end” (13:1). The evening began with a foot washing, in which Jesus Himself “poured water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded” (13:5). Remarkably, He even knowingly washed the feet of the one who would betray Him, Judas Iscariot.

Next there was the final meal, the Last Supper (cf. Matt. 26:26–29; Mark 14:22–25; Luke 22:19–20; 1 Cor. 11:23–26), during which Jesus revealed that Judas would betray Him (John 13:26–27; cf. Matt. 26:20–25), that He was about to die (John 13:31–35), and that Peter would deny Him (John 13:36–38; cf. Matt. 26:30–35). The disciples were understandably shocked and dismayed by what Jesus told them. Yet, the Lord was quick to console them, comforting them with the promise of future glory. “Do not let your heart be troubled,” He said to them. “Believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you” (14:1–2). The Lord further encouraged His followers with the promise of the Holy Spirit, the Helper who would come to them after He left. “The Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name,” declared Jesus, “He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you” (14:26). Though the world would hate them, just as it hated Christ (15:18–16:4), the Spirit would strengthen and guide them in the truth (15:26–27; 16:5–15).

The words of Christ in the upper room also emphasized the vital, saving relationship that His disciples (and by extension, all believers) enjoyed with Him. Using the imagery of a vine and its branches, Jesus emphasized the abiding and life-giving nature of His love (15:1). Those who truly believe in Him share in that love, resulting in spiritual fruit (15:5), powerful prayer (15:7), a God-exalting life (15:8), heartfelt obedience (15:10; cf. 14:15), supernatural joy (15:11), and a sincere love for others (15:12). Jesus’ remarkable words, “You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you” (15:16), comforted the disciples by confirming their genuine, saving relationship to Him.

Though they would grieve for a short time, Jesus assured them that their sadness was only temporary. With solemn certainty, He told them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; you will grieve, but your grief will be turned into joy” (16:20). The disciples, of course, did not understand that Jesus would rise from the dead only three days after the horrifying events that were about to take place (16:18; cf. John 2:22). They did not realize that His death was a necessary part of God’s plan, and had been for the Messiah all along (cf. Isa. 53:1–12; Dan. 9:26). Their thinking, in keeping with the mainstream Jewish understanding of their day, had no place for a crucified Christ (cf. 1 Cor. 1:23). The Messiah, they thought, would come, overthrow Rome, and establish His earthly kingdom. When Jesus triumphantly entered Jerusalem just a few days before, the disciples must have been overwhelmed and overjoyed (12:12–19). Though their Master was still disliked by the religious leaders (11:16, 47–53), His popularity with the people seemed to be growing (cf. 12:9–11). The crowds had jubilantly hailed Him as their king, even laying down palm branches before Him, and greeting Him with shouts of “Hosanna!” as He entered the city (12:12–18). Surely, the disciples must have reasoned, the kingdom was finally at hand.

Now, just a few days later, they were shocked to hear Jesus tell them the unthinkable—He was leaving them (13:33; 14:18; 16:16). Rather than conquering Rome, He was going away. Rather than building up a kingdom, He was laying down His life (15:14). In the upcoming hours, He would be betrayed (18:2), arrested (18:12), put on trial (18:19), abandoned (18:25–27; cf. 16:32), falsely accused (18:38; 19:4), beaten (19:1), mocked (19:5), and crucified (19:16). The disciples’ great expectations quickly turned to shock, heartbreak, and despair.

It is in this context, after Jesus spoke the things recorded in the previous three chapters, that He graciously and fervently prayed for His disciples. As they left the upper room and started their journey through the city and across the Kidron Valley to Gethsemane, the disciples would have been unable to separate this prayer from the solemn instruction they had just received in the upper room. In fact, much of what Jesus had just told them is repeated in His prayer to the Father:

The Lord had told His disciples what to expect (14:29), and warned them of the persecution they too would face on His behalf (15:18). He had comforted them with the promise of heaven (14:2) and of the Holy Spirit’s coming (14:16–17). He had assured them of His love for them, and of their saving relationship with Him (15:1–11). He had instructed them with regard to their love for one another (15:12, 17), and even modeled that love in washing their feet (13:1–20). Now He would model that sacrificial love once again—this time by publicly praying for them, entrusting their safekeeping to His Father.

The Lord had promised them peace, joy, strength, provision, answered prayer, spiritual power through the Holy Spirit, and intimate fellowship both with Himself and the Father. All of those promises culminated in Christ’s concluding promise that the disciples would triumph over the world: “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world” (16:33). It is no coincidence that this prayer immediately follows that exultant declaration. Having stated His victory over the world, Jesus immediately turned in submissive dependence to the One who would ensure His triumph. “To transform the victory which was announced into a present reality, nothing less was needed than the action of the omnipotence of God. It is to Him that Jesus turns” (Frederic Godet, Commentary on John’s Gospel [repr.; Grand Rapids: Kregel, 1978], 883).

The circumstances were certainly dismal from a human perspective, just hours before the cross. Yet Jesus’ prayer was anything but pessimistic. Instead, it was a confident declaration of undying faith and certain glory. In the words of Leon Morris,

Jesus began His prayer by lifting up His eyes to heaven, a familiar posture (cf. 11:41; Ps. 123:1; Mark 6:41; 7:34) acknowledging God’s throne in heaven. It also reflected the confidence of His pure heart (Matt. 5:8; Eph. 3:12; cf. the guilt-stricken tax collector’s unwillingness to lift up his eyes to heaven [Luke 18:13]). By addressing God as Father (cf. vv. 5, 11, 21, 24, 25; Matt. 11:25–26; 26:39, 42; Luke 10:21; 23:34, 46; John 11:41; 12:28), Jesus acknowledged His submission to and dependence on Him, while simultaneously underscoring His equality with God as His Son (cf. John 5:18). In contrast to the common Jewish practice of referring to God with a plural pronoun, “our Father,” Jesus addressed Him as “My Father” (e.g., Matt. 7:21; 10:32–33; 11:27; 12:50; 16:17; 18:10, 19; 20:23; 26:39, 42; Luke 22:29; John 5:17;6:32, 40;8:19, 38, 49, 54; 10:18, 29, 37; 14:7, 20, 21, 23; 15:1, 8, 15, 23, 24; 20:17). Gerald Borchert explains the cultural significance of that personal title:

In addressing this prayer to His Father, Jesus emphasized the intimate fellowship He shared with God. That kind of a personal, familial relationship with God was completely foreign to the Jews of Jesus’ day. Yet through Christ, anyone who believes in Him is granted that same spiritual intimacy with God (17:20, 26).

That Jesus referred to God as His Father is significant for another reason. On the one hand, He was “making Himself equal with God” (John 5:18) by claiming to be the Son of God. But on the other hand, He was demonstrating His distinctness from the Father, since He was clearly not praying to Himself. That twofold reality underscores an important theological truth—that the Son is equal to the Father yet distinct from Him. Thus, while He is equal to the Father in essence, even sharing in His eternal glory (17:5), He is not a mere mode or manifestation of the Father. Rather, the Son is a distinct person within the Godhead. By calling God His Father, Jesus was underscoring the fundamental reality of the Trinity.

Earlier in John’s gospel the point had been emphasized that Christ’s hour had not yet come (2:4; 7:6, 30; 8:20). But now He opened His prayer with the dramatic declaration that the hour has come. The phrase refers to the consummation of His earthly ministry, encompassing His death, resurrection, and ascension.

The unfolding drama of redemptive history had reached its apex. Plans made in eternity past were finding their culmination in time. The hour had come in which the Son of Man would offer Himself as the perfect and only atoning sacrifice for sin. The hour had come when the sinless One would be made sin for believers that they “might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Cor. 5:21). The hour had come when Christ would cancel “the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us” taking “it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross” (Col. 2:14). This was the hour when the Old Testament prophecies of Messiah’s death would be fulfilled; when the serpent’s head would be bruised (Gen. 3:15); when the suffering Servant, “a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief” (Isa. 53:3), would be “pierced through for our transgressions … crushed for our iniquities” and have “the chastening for our well-being [fall] upon Him [so that] by His scourging we are healed” (v. 5). It was the hour when the shadows of the Old Testament sacrifices (cf. Heb. 10:1) would give way to the glorious reality of the final sacrifice—the Lamb of God (John 1:29; Heb. 10:14). It was the hour of Christ’s triumph over the prince of this world and the kingdom of darkness (John 12:31; 16:11; Col. 2:14; Heb. 2:14). It was the climactic hour when God, through Christ’s sacrifice, would defeat sin, death, and Satan, and redeem a people for Himself.

With the hour of supreme suffering and even greater victory at hand, and with His terrified and heartbroken disciples still surrounding Him (cf. 18:1), the Lord lifted His eyes to heaven and prayed. Though the words of this prayer would be magnificent in any context, the palpable imminence of the cross makes Christ’s plea as poignant as it is profound.

THE SUBSTANCE OF THIS PRAYER

“glorify Your Son, that the Son may glorify You.” (17:1b)

Having acknowledged that the time of His death was near, Jesus immediately requested that the Father would glorify the Son, so that the Son may glorify the Father. This short phrase (which will be discussed in more detail in the following chapter of this commentary) provides a fitting summary to all that had taken place in Jesus’ life and ministry, and to all that was to follow both in this prayer and in the events of His passion. His prevailing focus had always been on glorifying His Father, perfectly submitting to the Father’s will in everything, even to the end.

Throughout His ministry, Jesus was continually “seeking the glory of the One who sent Him” (John 7:18; cf. 13:31–32). The events of His birth brought glory to God (Luke 2:14, 20); as did His teaching (Matt. 5:16; John 15:8); His miracles (Matt. 9:8; 15:31; Mark 2:12; Luke 5:25–26; 7:16; 13:13; 17:15; 18:43); and His death and resurrection (John 12:23–28). In absolutely everything, the Son had submitted to the Father’s will. “For I have come down from heaven,” He explained to the crowds, “not to do My own will but the will of Him who sent Me” (John 6:38; cf. Matt. 12:50; John 4:34; 5:30). Even during His passionate prayers in Gethsemane, when the temptation to abandon the cross was at its peak, Jesus submitted to the plan of God. “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me,” He prayed, “yet not as I will, but as You will” (Matt. 26:39; cf. v. 42).

Just as the Son had glorified the Father, so the Father had glorified the Son. Thus, Jesus could say to His opponents, “The Father who sent Me, He has testified of Me” (John 5:37), and later, “It is My Father who glorifies Me, of whom you say, ‘He is our God’” (John 8:54). At His baptism, the Father audibly affirmed His approval of the Son (cf. Matt. 3:13–17). This occurred a second time at His transfiguration (cf. Luke 9:35; 2 Peter 1:17–18), and a third time shortly before His passion (John 12:28). The Father further demonstrated that Jesus was truly His Son through His miracles (John 2:11; 9:3; 10:38; 11:40); as Jesus said regarding Lazarus’s death, “This sickness is not to end in death, but for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by it” (John 11:4). Even the events of Jesus’ death and resurrection would result in the glory of the Son (Luke 24:46; John 12:23; 13:32)—glory that He has shared with the Father since eternity past (John 1:1, 14) and that will be visibly displayed to the world at His future return (Matt. 16:27; Mark 8:38; Luke 21:27).

It is fitting that His ministry would climax in a majestic prayer that emphasized the very thing that characterized His entire life. The theme of God’s glory, stated in verse 1, is echoed throughout this passage. Just as the Son glorified the Father through His faithfulness on earth (17:4), so the Father would glorify the Son together with Himself, with the very glory that the Son shared with Him since before time began (17:5). The disciples too would be those who glorified the Father by bringing glory to the Son (17:10); they, along with all who would believe in the Son, would share in His glory (17:22), eternally praising Him for the glory that He received from the Father (17:24). Furthermore, the plan of salvation would certainly be fulfilled in the cross since God’s glorious reputation, His name, was at stake (cf. 17:6, 11, 12, 26).

The prayer itself falls readily into three sections, as Jesus prays for Himself (vv. 1–5), His disciples (vv. 6–19), and His church (vv. 20–26). But throughout all three sections, the focal point is the glory of God, being manifested through the cross. As Frederic Godet explains,

Ironically, it was through the cross, the most shameful of deaths, that the Son of God displayed infinite glory. What seemed to be the worst possible outcome for Jesus, at least in the minds of His disciples, was in reality His ultimate victory. By looking at the cross from the standpoint of God’s glory, the Lord saw triumph where His followers saw nothing but tragedy.

Jesus’ prayer highlights His absolute confidence in and submission to the perfect will of God, even though He knew perfectly what it would cost Him. Therefore He prayed that the Father’s will would be done, that the master plan of redemption would be accomplished, and that the Father would bring to reality all the promises He had made to His disciples. Knowing the will of God did not cause Jesus to fatalistically forego praying. On the contrary, it prompted Him to ask the Father to do what He had said He would do (cf. Daniel’s prayer in Dan. 9:4–19, which was prompted by his understanding from Jeremiah’s prophecy that Israel’s captivity would last for seventy years [Dan. 9:2–3]). Not only did Jesus impart the truth to His disciples, but He also prayed that God would energize it in their lives. Teaching the truth must always be coupled with prayer; a lesson that the disciples themselves would later put into practice (Acts 6:4).

The prayer recorded in this chapter also forms a transition between Jesus’ earthly ministry and His heavenly ministry of intercession (Heb. 7:25). The book of Hebrews reveals the rich theological truths regarding the Lord’s intercessory work as the mediator of the new covenant (cf. Heb. 4:14–10:25); here we have a personal glimpse of Him in His role as the Great High priest interceding for His people. (This prayer is, in fact, often referred to as the High Priestly Prayer of Christ.) Significantly, as was noted earlier, this is the only place in Scripture where the words of a lengthy prayer of Christ have been recorded. Though shorter prayers can be found (cf. Matt. 11:25–27), there is no parallel in Scripture to the prayer recorded here.

Yet, in spite of its unique character and profundity, Jesus’ words are simple and straightforward. No amount of study could ever exhaust the truths revealed in this prayer; and yet a basic understanding and appreciation of the text comes just from reading and meditating on it. One might expect the words of an inter-Trinitarian prayer to be utterly incomprehensible. But that is not the case. As James Montgomery Boice rightly observes:

Because He was consumed with the glory of God, as the substance of His prayer makes clear, Jesus viewed the cross from an eternal perspective. He was not dispassionate or stoic (cf. Luke 22:42), but fully dependent on His Father’s care and wholly submissive to His will. Perfectly aware of the pain and suffering that awaited Him, He also knew of the triumphant glory that would result. Thus, “for the joy set before Him [He] endured the cross, despising the shame,” knowing that He would soon victoriously sit “down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Heb. 12:2).

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS PRAYER

Spoken by Jesus just hours before the cross, the significance of this passage is difficult to overstate. Here the words of the second member of the Trinity are recorded, as He speaks to His Father about the nature of their communion, about the outworking of their eternal plan of salvation, and about the way in which the disciples and all believers fit into that plan. In hearing this prayer, the disciples were allowed to listen in on the most holy and profound of conversations. In reading this prayer, believers today are similarly ushered into the Holy of Holies, where they find their Great High Priest—even in the moments before His death—interceding on their behalf. Some refer to it as the “Holy of Holies of sacred Scripture.”

Though the church has always cherished and meditated on this prayer, and though individual Christians have studied it in great detail, its rich truths have never been exhausted. Hundreds of sermons have been preached on it, thousands of pages written about it, and millions of lives changed by it. And the words of the Lord remain as relevant and meaningful today as they were when He first uttered them.

In light of the fact that this prayer is the longest and, arguably, most significant of Jesus’ recorded prayers, it is ironic that the title, “The Lord’s Prayer” has traditionally been used elsewhere, in reference to the instruction on prayer in Matthew 6:9–13 (cf. Luke 11:2–4). Yet Matthew 6:9–13 does not actually record a prayer of Jesus, but rather is a model given by Jesus to His disciples for how they should pray—a disciple’s prayer would be a better title. (Jesus, after all, could never have asked God for forgiveness—cf. Matt. 6:12.). If one wishes to read an actual prayer of the Lord, at least a prayer of any length, this passage is the only place to turn. From that perspective, the prayer recorded in John 17 is the true Lord’s Prayer.

As Jesus prayed this prayer shortly before the cross, He rejoiced, knowing that the redemption that had been predetermined in eternity past was about to find its terminus in time and space. Jesus understood that the hour had finally come for the fulfillment of that which God had promised from before time began. He was ready to face the cross—with triumph and resolve. The cost would be immense, but the glorious result would be eternal.